A lot of intensity for the pre-season from the new guy, just hope this suspension doesn't carry over into the Regular season.Didn't see the hit, but a buddy of mine did , and said it didn't look nearly as dirty as Staubitz hit from behind on Jackets winger Cody Bass. Anyone else see it?

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

“The fact that he looked after his partner … we play these guys the second game of the season. You don’t want to see him get suspended, or for anything to happen, but we’ve done a good job stick up for each other. (It) could have been done in a better fashion, but I don’t mind that he came to his partner’s aid.”

Same thing I woulda said.

I love the Wisniewski signing. They've needed someone like him on the blue line. He blocks pucks, doesn't take any shit, and actually has some offensive skills.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

I get what Shanahan is doing here. Concussion issues are up league-wide and really, this kind of also plays into the recent player deaths. Concussions can include a PTSD-type depression. They want to eliminate any and all hits to the head and are trying to send a very clear message.

I think the message has been sent. Shame that Wisniewski received such a stiff suspension, especially because of his prior infractions, but the league needs to do this.

8 games? What a fucking joke Shanahan is. Dude was coming in looking for trouble after the horn and he got it. Staubitz gets 3 for smashing Bass' head into the boards. Yeah real consistent there, dickwad.

CDT, guess you won't like my stance in my article today when it gets posted. If you read them, that is.

Shanahan's doing what he needs to do. Wisniewski earned respect in the locker room and earned a hefty suspension as a repeat offender.

Shanahan has to remove thuggish hits from the game. It needs to be safer for all involved. Going after a player after the whistle is one of the cardinal rules. You engage him and if he wants to fight, you do. You can't just smoke him while he isn't paying attention.

Player safety is an issue. These suspension lengths are only a problem because Colin Campbell didn't do his job properly and set an incredibly poor standard. Shanahan has to clean up after him and suspensions like this are his way to do that.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

skatingtripods wrote:CDT, guess you won't like my stance in my article today when it gets posted. If you read them, that is.

Shanahan's doing what he needs to do. Wisniewski earned respect in the locker room and earned a hefty suspension as a repeat offender.

Shanahan has to remove thuggish hits from the game. It needs to be safer for all involved. Going after a player after the whistle is one of the cardinal rules. You engage him and if he wants to fight, you do. You can't just smoke him while he isn't paying attention.

Player safety is an issue. These suspension lengths are only a problem because Colin Campbell didn't do his job properly and set an incredibly poor standard. Shanahan has to clean up after him and suspensions like this are his way to do that.

I get that, I do. My thing is ... you have to use some context when handing these suspensions out. Clutterbuck's hit on Tyutin was when he was in a vulnerable spot. Then Clutterbuck skated in front of Wiz to goad him. And he was on the bench laughing his ass off about it after Wiz was whistled. He was far from the defenition of "defenseless" to justify a 12 game suspension and a loss of over half a million dollars for Wiz.

I get what Shanahan is trying to do. But this was a horse shit suspension. Way, way too excessive.

"It's like dating a woman who hates you so much she will never break up with you, even if you burn down the house every single autumn." ~ Chuck Klosterman on Browns fans relationship with the Browns

swerb wrote:I get that, I do. My thing is ... you have to use some context when handing these suspensions out. Clutterbuck's hit on Tyutin was when he was in a vulnerable spot. Then Clutterbuck skated in front of Wiz to goad him. And he was on the bench laughing his ass off about it after Wiz was whistled. He was far from the defenition of "defenseless" to justify a 12 game suspension and a loss of over half a million dollars for Wiz.

I get what Shanahan is trying to do. But this was a horse shit suspension. Way, way too excessive.

Excessive, maybe. But it has to be done to send a message. Most of the suspensions have been viewed as excessive by fans and media types. What will be interesting to see is if Shanahan can keep this up or not. You simply cannot create this firm of a stance just to back off of it.

It's a big suspension and a really extreme fine, I understand that. But, you have to set the bar high given all the bullshit that has gone on.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

First time I've seen the video and it just strengthens my position. Wisniewski does target the head, does directly violate the rule and is a repeat offender. If he didn't already have an 8-game suspension for this hit:

he would have gotten 3 or 4 regular season like the rest did.

Message sent.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

I wont have as much as an issue with this IF when Matt Cooke, Steve Downie, and Chris Pronger commit a similar act this season (and I have no doubt in my mind all three will) they receive a equivalent penalty (e.g. 10+ games/ $500K).

If I see consistency then I am cool with it. But if Pronger gets a slap on the wrist b/c they don't want Phillie's aging star to miss the Winter Classic, or some other crap like that, that's when Ill call bull shit.

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

skatingtripods wrote:CDT, guess you won't like my stance in my article today when it gets posted. If you read them, that is.

Shanahan's doing what he needs to do. Wisniewski earned respect in the locker room and earned a hefty suspension as a repeat offender.

Shanahan has to remove thuggish hits from the game. It needs to be safer for all involved. Going after a player after the whistle is one of the cardinal rules. You engage him and if he wants to fight, you do. You can't just smoke him while he isn't paying attention.

Player safety is an issue. These suspension lengths are only a problem because Colin Campbell didn't do his job properly and set an incredibly poor standard. Shanahan has to clean up after him and suspensions like this are his way to do that.

My problem he is the exact opposite of "consistent". The hit on Cody Bass resulted in him going FACE FIRST into the goddamn boards. Staubitz got 3 games. And Clutterfuck was looking right at Wis as he skates towards him after the horn, so he is paying attention and he's looking for trouble, which he got in spades.

If you want to get rid of thuggish nature, fights must go. What's more thuggish than that? You either need to allow the players to police the game, or not at all. Teams have roster spots for thugs, they send them into the game to fill that role. This the culture of the game, to try and police it out is hypocritical and best since they endorse it.

If Zedeno Chara, who broke a guy's neck, hit Staubitz like that, he would get the hook for the rest of the preseason and that would be it. The NHL will make an example of thugs and protect it's stars. I have no faith that Shanahan will be consistent, because it's already proven he will not. So fuck him.

Wis got suspended for giving Sean Avery an obscene gesture (which I thought was funny) last year, Simmonds got nothing for calling him a "faggot" on TV. This comes right after Simmonds was called racial slurs in London.

Cerebral_DownTime wrote:My problem he is the exact opposite of "consistent". The hit on Cody Bass resulted in him going FACE FIRST into the goddamn boards. Staubitz got 3 games. And Clutterfuck was looking right at Wis as he skates towards him after the horn, so he is paying attention and he's looking for trouble, which he got in spades.

As far as I know, Staubitz is not a repeat offender.

Wrong on Clutterbuck.

If you want to get rid of thuggish nature, fights must go. What's more thuggish than that? You either need to allow the players to police the game, or not at all. Teams have roster spots for thugs, they send them into the game to fill that role. This the culture of the game, to try and police it out is hypocritical and best since they endorse it.

When has the NHL endorsed fighting? At what point has the league come out and said that fighting is good for hockey?

Teams have spots for players to protect other players. Perhaps, in a way, Shanahan is using his system of justice to phase out enforcers, seeing as how they seem to have depression issues and kill themselves.

If Zedeno Chara, who broke a guy's neck, hit Staubitz like that, he would get the hook for the rest of the preseason and that would be it. The NHL will make an example of thugs and protect it's stars. I have no faith that Shanahan will be consistent, because it's already proven he will not. So fuck him.

Complete speculation.

Shanahan has been consistent. Suspendable offenses have resulted in suspensions and repeat offenders have gotten stiffer penalties. I fail to see what more you want other than your team getting preferential treatment.

If it was a bullshit ruling, why wouldn't the team appeal?

Wis got suspended for giving Sean Avery an obscene gesture (which I thought was funny) last year, Simmonds got nothing for calling him a "faggot" on TV. This comes right after Simmonds was called racial slurs in London.

It's a joke.

Funny, but inappropriate. And caught on camera.

Simmonds called Avery a faggot this year as well. He had a hearing with Campbell, who declined to fine/suspend him.

The elbow came up. The point of contact was the head. It was after the whistle. Wisniewski is a repeat offender. All of the facts are present.

Clearly, we'll have to agree to disagree, but for me, Shanahan's ruling is correct, consistent, and fair based on the other suspensions he has handed down.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe

Actually i'm not. At 48 seconds in you can clearly see Clutterfuck looking right at Wis coming towards him.... after the horn. He got what he wanted. It also looks like half a dive and turtle..... Seabrook is another adorable actress.

As far as I know, Staubitz is not a repeat offender.

Semantics. The hit was dirty. Bass' head was driven into the boards.

When has the NHL endorsed fighting?

Hmmmmmm.... They allow it go on, don't they? It's a tacit endorsement. If they really cared about removing thuggery, they would ban fighting...... like every other major sport.

Teams have spots for players to protect other players. Perhaps, in a way, Shanahan is using his system of justice to phase out enforcers, seeing as how they seem to have depression issues and kill themselves.

If they care so damn much, why "phase" it out, why not just have a zero tolerance policy and be done with it? I don't know why these guys off themselves, so i'm not going to suggest that I do..... It's complete speculation to do so IMO.

I fail to see what more you want other than your team getting preferential treatment.

I want our players protected the same as players on any other team. The hit on Bass was no less dangerous than the hit on Clutterbuck.... and Clutterbuck has yet to receive any punishment for his hit on Fedor.

Red Wings Brendan Smith has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason plus five regular-season games Brendan Smith's suspension, without pay, covers a total of eight games. He loses $23,648.65 in salary.

I saw the hit...looked no less worse then The Wiz's head shot. And the guy Smith hit got hurt.

I dont know much about Brandon Smiths playing history, so I dont know if he is a repeat offender or not, so I cant say if thats the reason Smith received less games then Wiz.

"I don't think they're building chemical weapons in Berea. But they might be. I can't say for sure."Chuck Klosterman

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock felt the suspension was "a little extreme". Shanahan's message is getting sent. Coaches and players are upset with the length of these suspensions. Should cut down on questionable hits.

A God Damn dead man would understand that if a minor league bus in any city took a real sharp right turn, a Zack McCalister would likely fall out. - Lead Pipe